


Brilliant, but Scared

by HinaSohma



Series: Morgan/Reid [1]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Nightmares, Vulnerable Reid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-08
Updated: 2015-06-08
Packaged: 2018-04-03 12:40:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4101295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HinaSohma/pseuds/HinaSohma
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Reid was captured during a mission, and while he was ultimately unharmed, he is a little shaken.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Brilliant, but Scared

Being an FBI profiler meant you had to have a strong resolve for what you were doing. Dr. Spencer Reid had though he had that. He wasn't strong like Morgan, not physically, but he thought he could handle it. Of course, being forced to tie yourself up, and blind fold yourself while a man held a gun to your head would shake anyone's resolve. Expect maybe Gideon. 

The plane ride back from that mission was especially terrible. The entire team was asleep, except Morgan and Reid. Morgan was finishing his report. Reid was sitting in the back of the plane, ringing his hands. He hadn't moved in an hour and as Morgan began to feel tired, he knew he needed to talk to Reid. 

The man didn't even look up as Morgan sat down across from him, but his hands paused. "Reid," Morgan said, softly. Slowly, the honey coloured eyes focused up on him. "You're okay." 

"I know." Reid said, softly. Of course he knew. And even though he had a textbook understanding of PTSD and Anxiety, Reid knew that wasn't what he was experiencing. He just felt... Alone. 

"Then what has Boy Genius all worried?" Morgan asked, leaning forward. His arms rested on his knees, looking up at Reid instead of down. "Why aren't you asleep?" 

Reid was quiet. He didn't know what to say. Months ago, he had mentioned his nightmares to Morgan, and found the whole team backing him. They were so protective. Maybe it was because he was the youngest. 

"Reid." Morgan pressed softly. 

"Statistically speaking, the odds of our unsub breaking out of prison are.." Reid started, but Morgan stopped him with a hand on his leg. 

"He's not gonna break out, Reid. You're gonna be fine." Morgan said quietly. "Especially tonight. Everyone on this team would raise hell and make sure that man was dying slowly and painfully if they found he wanted to come after you. Garcia would kick him in the nuts and you know it." 

Reid laughed, softly. "That's another thing." He said, quietly, looking up at Morgan. "Why can't I do that? All of you can just forget a case but..."

"Well, we don't all have photographic memories, but we don't forget." Morgan said, softly. He leaned in farther. "Listen, you of all people know that it's important to have a regular sleep schedule. Tomorrow, we wake up and catch another bad guy. Get some sleep." 

"That's the thing. There's always another bad guy." Reid said softly. "We can't catch them all." 

"This isn't Pokémon, but we catch enough to make it worth it. You worried about the nightmares?" He said, softly. 

"Maybe." Reid admitted, his eyes falling back to his hands. Morgan moved to sit next to him. 

"If you have a nightmare, if you just can't shake it, wake me up. Any time. It's gonna be okay, kiddo." Morgan put an arm around him. Reid never leaned into Morgan's touch, but he also never pulled away. It was reassuring. He wasn't alone. He had Morgan. 

Reid nodded, and Morgan let go. The younger curled up on the plane seat, laying across two with his knees pressed to his chest. Some of the team had brought blankets, but Reid made no move to get his. It wasn't particularly cold in the cabin.

Morgan headed back down the plane, grabbing his own and Reid's. He covered the thin boy up, waiting for his eyes to open before kneeling down. "If you decide that you don't want to be alone when we land, my place is always open to you, okay?" 

Reid nodded, and Morgan laid across from him, on the seats of the other side. He fell asleep quickly, it took Reid a little longer. When he did fall asleep, it was exactly what he expected. 

He was tying a rope. Alone, in an attic, he was tying a rope. Little loops. There was the sound of shuffling downstairs, voices. None  of them belonged to the agents. He recognized one. Samuel Lui. Their last unsub. He came up the stairs, slowly, but stood at the top. Reid couldn't see him. 

"It's 12:30. Midnight." The man said, softly. The unsub was a sexual sadist, and he had given the FBI a chance. They had three hours to find their little boy genius, and then the man got to have his way. 

They had half an hour left, and Reid was getting antsy. He was expecting Morgan to bust through at any time, but no luck. He was losing hope, and quickly. The man was much stronger than him, and had taken his gun. 

Footsteps. Samuel was leaving the shadows. "Open your mouth, Spence." He said. No one called him that, but the unsub said it sounded sweeter. The agent shook his head, honey brown hair falling around his face. 

Crack! 

A harsh blow to the face left a red mark, and Reid opened his lips. The man produced a dirty rag, stuffing it into Reid's mouth. As he packed the molars to avoid choking, he watched the boy's face. "If you bite my fingers, or any other body part I choose to fit in that mouth of yours, i'll rip your teeth out." He threatened. It was enough to stop Reid from trying. At least one victim, female, had been found with her teeth removed. Then, he picked up the rope. 

"Tie your feet together, tightly." He instructed. Reid didn't fight this time. 

Once he was firmly gagged, the man wrapped tape around his head, but was carefully to avoid his hair line. He let his fingers trace the path of Reid's lips before heading downstairs. 

Right after this, he had heard a crash downstairs. His subconscious waited, and waited, until the man came back upstairs. He was carrying a tool kit this time. 

"Guess what time it is, Pretty Boy?" The man asked, flipping it open. Inside, it had been filled with knives, rope, needles, anything and everything he would need. He started with a pair of scissors, cutting up Reid's inseam. His pants fell apart. 

The man's scissors trailed over the slightly curve of his briefs. Reid tried to fight and struggle, but his bondage was tight. He had been too confident. The team wasn't coming. 

Reid sat up in a cold sweat, back in the cabin of the plane. He rolled onto his side, looking out the window. He didn't want to bother Morgan, after all, it wasn't that big of a deal. He kept the blanket around him, watching as they landed back home. 

Reid went over to wake Morgan up, gently. "Morgan." He whispered, looking at the man. "Derek." He said, a little louder. He lightly tapped his shoulder.

The man's eyes opened, slowly. "Reid. Did you have a night mare?" The man asked, sitting up quickly. His voice was gravely from sleep. 

"Yes, but that's not relevant. The plane landed." He said, softly. After a moment, he added, "And I really don't want to be alone tonight." 

Morgan stood up, understanding. "Let's get all cleaned up." He said, softly. "You can crash at my house." 

Reid smiled faintly. It was nice to think that Morgan was willing to go so far out of his way to allow Reid to stay because Reid was scared. 

-__-__-__-__-__-__-__-__-__-__-__-__-  
It was four am when they reached Morgan's. 

Morgan's house was a typical one bedroom bachelor's pad. It was actual pretty comfortable looking. Reid sat his suitcase by the couch as he waited for Morgan to tell him where to sleep. 

"You can take the bed, if you want." Morgan said, softly. "The couch isn't that comfortable and it'll make your back hurt." 

"Then where will you sleep?" Reid asked, not wanting to kick the man out of his own bed. 

"In the bed. It's pretty big, we won't have to touch." Morgan said, knowing spooning probably wasn't high on the brilliant Doctor Reid's to do list. Reid nodded, following Morgan's lead. He awkwardly stripped out of his shoes and joined the other under the covers. 

"Wake me up if you need me." Morgan said, softly. Reid nodded, laying there in silence as the man beside him's breath evened out, falling into a comfortable rhythm that lulled Reid to sleep. 

He woke up to the feeling of arms around him. He was far from his side of the bed, Morgan's cologne assaulting his senses as he realized his face was pressed into Morgan's chest. He must not have dreamed, to be awaken so calmly. Or maybe he just didn't remember it? No, Reid remembered all his dreams. 

Reid slowly pulled out of Morgan's grip, earning a soft groan from the man. His arms were reluctant to release their teddy bear. "Don't leave, baby." He murmured, obviously still more than half asleep. 

Reid's face flushed. Baby? He studied the man, who appeared to be waking up. He blinked his eyes open, his brow furrowing in confusion as he saw Reid. 

"Were you cuddlin' me, Pretty Boy?" Morgan asked him teasingly. 

"No, I must have... I don't know." Reid said, embarrassed. He never touched anyone if he didn't have to, so why did he gravitate toward his partner in his sleep? 

"It's alright, Spence." Morgan assured him. It was the first time he had ever called Reid that, and Reid froze. 

"Don't call me that." He said, softly. He looked up at the other, with real fear in his honey coloured eyes. "He called me that." 

Morgan didn't have to ask. Instead, he pulled the younger into his broad chest. "I'm sorry, Reid. You know he can't hurt you. Not while i'm around." 

Reid looked up at the man who had him in a tight grip, and for the first time in forever, he let his head rest on Morgan's chest, his arms going around him. "I know. You've always protected me." 

"And I always will."


End file.
